ALERT #9A ON TROPICAL STORM LAURA ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY, FRIDAY 21ST AUGUST 2020, AT 10:05AM EDT.

BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY

Forecast Office Section

Telephone No. 377-7178/377-7040

Fax No. 377-5275 Nassau, Bahamas

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS. THIS INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF INAGUA, MAYAGUANA, CROOKED ISLAND, ACKLINS, RAGGED ISLAND, LONG CAY, AND SAMANA CAY. 

 

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.

 

 A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS COULD BE EXPERIENCED WITHIN 48 HOURS. 

 

A TROPICAL STORM ALERT REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS. THIS INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF LONG ISLAND, CAT ISLAND, EXUMA, RUM CAY, SAN SALVADOR, SOUTH ELEUTHERA AND SOUTH ANDROS.

 

A TROPICAL STORM ALERT MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS COULD AFFECT THE MENTIONED ISLANDS WITHIN 60 HOURS.

 

AT 9:05 AM EDT, THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM LAURA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 17.0 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 59.8 DEGREES WEST, OR ABOUT 255 MILES EAST OF THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS, OR ABOUT 820 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF GRAND TURK, TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS, OR ABOUT 940 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF INAGUA, OR ABOUT 1,255 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF NEW PROVIDENCE.

 

THE STORM IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 21 MPH AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS. ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE STORM IS EXPECTED TO MOVE NEAR OR NORTH OF THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS LATER TODAY, NEAR OR NORTH OF HISPANIOLA ON SATURDAY NIGHT AND IN THE VICINITY OF THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS BY EARLY SUNDAY MORNING.

 

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 45 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. GRADUAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST.

 

LOCALIZED FLOODING AND GUSTY WINDS ARE EXPECTED IN THE AFOREMENTIONED ISLANDS AS THE SYSTEM APPROACHES. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED OVER THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.

 

RESIDENTS IN THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS SHOULD CONTINUE MAKING PREPARATION FOR TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS BEGINNING EARLY SUNDAY MORNING, AND RESIDENTS IN THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS SHOULD BEGIN TO PREPARE FOR TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS BEGINNING SUNDAY AFTERNOON. RESIDENTS IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS SHOULD CONTINUE TO CLOSELY MONITOR THE ALERTS ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY. 

 

THE NEXT ALERT ON TROPICAL STORM LAURA WILL BE ISSUED AT NOON EDT TODAY. 

 

ISSUED BY: BASIL A. DEAN